The present invention is directed to a device and method for inspecting the internal coolant passages of vehicle cylinder heads for blockages. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a device and method for non-visually inspecting the internal coolant passages of vehicle cylinder heads for blockages.
It is well known that vehicle cylinder heads typically rely on a flow of coolant to prevent overheating. This coolant is typically supplied by a vehicle's cooling system, which generally includes a radiator and water pump. The coolant travels, among other paths, through a series of coolant passages that are internal to the cylinder heads.
The internal coolant passages within a cylinder head can be quite circuitous in nature, often having a plurality of pathways for carrying the coolant around the valve area, etc., of the cylinder head. The more complex the design of the cylinder head, the more circuitous the coolant passages are likely to be.
As cylinder head design becomes more complex, so too must the molds used to produce the cylinder heads. Particularly, the sand molds that are used to form the coolant passages of the finished cylinder heads have become more complex. Defects in these sand molds can lead to defects in the coolant passages of an associated cylinder head. For example, cracks or other defects in a sand mold can become filled with molten aluminum during the molding process, leading to blockages in the coolant passage(s) of the finished cylinder head.
Even partial blockage of a cylinder head coolant passage can lead to problems with an engine and/or a vehicle with which the cylinder head is eventually associated. For example, because a blockage(s) in a coolant passage(s) can inhibit or prevent the flow of coolant therethrough, engine overheating, valve or piston damage, and/or HVAC problems can result. As such, it is obvious that the detection of cylinder head coolant passage blockages is desirable in order to prevent such problems.
Because of the structural nature of a cylinder head, observation of the interior of its internal coolant passages is inherently difficult. Furthermore, even when a portion of a coolant passage can be visually observed, the size and/or overall tortuous shape thereof generally limits observation of the remainder of the passage. Consequently, visual examination of a coolant passage for blockages is generally limited to only a small fraction of its overall length.
To this end, a non-visual method of inspecting cylinder head coolant passages for blockages and a device for performing such an inspection are needed. The device and method of the present invention satisfies this need.